A Comprehensive Look At
All Medications and Interactions
Medication Reviews & Management
A medication review helps ensure you’re taking the right medications at the right dosages and help to minimize the risk of adverse drug reactions and interactions. At Streu’s Pharmacy, we’re happy to help you determine if you have coverage for this service.
Who Can Benefit From a Medication Review
Many of us could find a medication review to be time well spent, especially those who are facing one or more chronic conditions, and seeing multiple healthcare providers who prescribe needed medications. Some of our more complex patients are juggling 20 or more medications! The role of our pharmacists goes far beyond just filling prescriptions and dispensing medications: the highly trained pharmacy team at Streu’s Pharmacy specializes in medication management, keeps close watch for dosages that need to be adjusted, and looks for potentially dangerous drug interactions.
You might be referred to us by your healthcare provider for a medication review, or we might suggest this to you in the course of serving your other medication, health and wellness needs. Our friendly team is always happy to answer your questions to help you determine if you could benefit from a medication review.
Linda S.
What to expect during a medication review
During your appointment, you will speak privately one-on-one with a pharmacist to discuss each and every one of your current medications. Often people are taking many of the right things and at the right doses, but it is not uncommon for us to find things that need adjusting.
For Instance:
- A medication that worked for a patient at a certain age may not provide the same benefit at their current age
- Someone may have continued taking medications that were not intended to be long-term
- Sometimes, people end up taking two medications that can have potential adverse interactions, such as dizziness or increased risk of falls
The possible problems and interactions that are discovered are not anyone’s fault. Often, they are simply the result of a change in healthcare providers, a move to a new city, a hospital stay, or a new diagnosis. Since our pharmacists are highly trained in the area of medication management, they are uniquely qualified to provide this valuable service in a more in-depth way than is possible within the timeframe of a typical doctor’s office visit. Following a medication review, we can work with your team of providers to ensure that all the adjustments being recommended are implemented safely, with the full cooperation of a collaborative healthcare team.
Areas addressed during a medication review include:
- Are the current medications on my list all still necessary?
- Are the dosages accurate for my current health issues?
- Are there medications I’m taking simply to manage side effects of other medications?
- Are there potential adverse interactions between any of my medications?
- Could there be any benefit to eliminating some medications, or lowering the dose?
A Medication Review is an Educational Process
In addition to being a valuable healthcare service, a medication review can be an informative, educational and engaging process. Patients often leave with a better understanding of their medication management needs and a feeling of empowerment. They are ready to play a more active role in evaluating and considering their medication needs.
Medication reviews also offer an opportunity for patients to discuss additional wellness strategies. For example, if a patient is motivated to get off medication for high blood pressure, we can discuss health strategies, health screening services and benchmarks to work toward those health and wellness goals. This is a valuable service we are proud to offer our customers as part of our comprehensive approach to helping you improve your overall health.
Let us help with your medication management
Call us at (920) 437-0206 to set up a medication review.